Pitt freshman tailback Rodney Hammond earned some recognition for his performance against New Hampshire on Saturday. Hammond was named by the ACC as the rookie of the week in the conference. Hammond rushed for 100 yards on 17 carries and three touchdowns in Pitt's 77-7 win over New Hampshire on Saturday.

Hammond is a true freshman out of Norfolk, Virginia and has been part of the Panthers running game since the beginning of the season. He led the team in rushing in the season opener with 45 yards in a win over Massachusetts. This past Saturday was the second time of Hammond's young career that he led the Panthers in rushing.

“Any opportunity I get, I take advantage of it," Hammond told reporters following the New Hampshire game.

He has played behind upperclassmen Vincent Davis and Israel Abanikanda this season, but has gotten more and more reps with the starting offense. Hammond was the featured back on Saturday at times, with the game well in hand for Pitt, and the starters out of the game.

“Yeah, he's strong, he's physical, gets north and south, and he just wiggles through,” Pat Narduzzi said of his freshman running back on Saturday. "He's just going to continue to get better, I think.”

Through four games, Hammond has rushed for 137 yards on 26 carries. His 5.3 yard per carry average is the best among the running backs on the team, and the three touchdowns also lead the Panthers at this point of the season.

As a team, Pitt has been one of the most effective offenses in college football through four weeks of the season. The Panthers rank towards the top of the nation in total offense and scoring, but the passing game behind Kenny Pickett has led the charge mostly. Pitt is still looking for a consistent running game and Hammond may help push that group ahead as the team heads into league play.

“We just want to prove to every team in the ACC, every college football team that we can run the ball just as well as we can throw the ball,” Hammond said. “We can run the ball, too.”